--- description: As SNL so masterfully parodied, TV commercials for wireless carriers are usually a mess of vague technical jargon, meaningless graphs and annoying spokespeople. But who... title: Report: The Fastest 4G and 3G Wireless Networks in America image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte27c60d7acc0c2c3/6998bc4d47fe512c8355a80c/117845417.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) # Report: The Fastest 4G and 3G Wireless Networks in America by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Apr 18, 2012 4:10 PM CUT  Young woman using smart phone Young woman using smart phoneGetty Images—(c) Tim Robberts by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Apr 18, 2012 4:10 PM CUT As SNL [so masterfully parodied](http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/verizon-ad/1384573# "undefined"), TV commercials for wireless carriers are usually a mess of vague technical jargon, meaningless graphs and annoying spokespeople. But who actually has the fastest wireless network? The editors at _PCWorld_ [decided to find out](http://www.pcworld.com/article/253808/3g%5Fand%5F4g%5Fwireless%5Fspeed%5Fshowdown%5Fwhich%5Fnetworks%5Fare%5Ffastest.html "undefined"). They ventured to multiple spots in 13 different cities to test various carriers’ 3G and 4G wireless speeds. (**MORE:** [Ask Techland: What’s the Deal with 4G?](http://techland.time.com/2011/11/09/ask-techland-whats-the-deal-with-4g-is-the-new-iphone-4g/ "undefined")) The big winner in the 4G category: AT&T, with an average download speed of 9.12 Mbps, ahead of Verizon’s 7.35-Mbps average. If you’re a content creator — i.e., if you are constantly uploading Instagram photos — you might want to go with Verizon, who had the highest average 4G upload speed of 5.86 Mbps. As for 3G, T-Mobile proved the best bet, with an average download speed of 3.84 Mbps. This report also contains [a helpful reminder](http://www.pcworld.com/article/253808-4/3g%5Fand%5F4g%5Fwireless%5Fspeed%5Fshowdown%5Fwhich%5Fnetworks%5Fare%5Ffastest.html "undefined") about 3G-versus-4G marketing: --- > “” --- _PCWorld_ reports that 3G speeds went up over the last year almost across the board (except for Sprint). And when you consider its relatively low prices and plan flexibility, T-Mobile really stands out as the best value: --- > “” --- The loser was Sprint, whose “3G and 4G services performed worse than any other carrier,” says _PCWorld_. And while AT&T did reign supreme when it came to 4G LTE download speeds, it’s important to remember it’s only available in 31 cities compared to Verizon’s 203. The study was conducted in five indoor and five outdoor spots in the 13 chosen cities using phones that each carrier thought would provide the best service. [3G and 4G Wireless Speed Showdown: Which Networks Are Fastest?](http://www.pcworld.com/article/253808/3g%5Fand%5F4g%5Fwireless%5Fspeed%5Fshowdown%5Fwhich%5Fnetworks%5Fare%5Ffastest.html "undefined") \[PCWorld\] Report: The Fastest 4G and 3G Wireless Networks in America ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7235847/report-the-fastest-4g-and-3g-wireless-networks-in-america/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7235847/report-the-fastest-4g-and-3g-wireless-networks-in-america/"},"headline":"Report: The Fastest 4G and 3G Wireless Networks in America","datePublished":"2012-04-18T16:10:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T10:49:24.229Z","description":"As SNL so masterfully parodied, TV commercials for wireless carriers are usually a mess of vague technical jargon, meaningless graphs and annoying spokespeople. 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